Micro-climate crawl space system

ABSTRACT

A micro-climate crawl space system having a means for keeping water from entering the crawl space, a means of expelling water that enters the crawl space, a means for keeping water vapor from entering the crawl space, a means of expelling water vapor from the crawl space, and a means for minimizing the deleterious impact of water that is present in the crawl space. The means of expelling water is a durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus, where the apparatus isolates the crawl space; and a supply of conditioned air that is typically drawn from an interior of the building, where the conditioned air is supplied at a rate sufficient to effect a slight positive pressure on the crawl space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present non-provisional patent application claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/933,881, filed Jun. 8, 2007,and entitled “MICRO-CLIMATE CRAWL SPACE SYSTEM,” which is incorporatedin full by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems for keeping a crawlspace dry, and more particularly to a system that controls thetemperature and humidity in the crawl space, and prevents moisture frommoving through foundation walls to the sill, therein reducing damagecaused by dry rot, termites, vermin, mold, fungus, and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many buildings and homes built without basements, where thefloor is elevated a few feet above the ground on a foundation wallcomposed of stone, poured concrete or concrete block walls. The crawlspace between the ground surface and the sub-flooring typically includeswooden floor beams or joists of the building, and the floor of the crawlspace is typically near or below the grade level of the surroundingsoil, so that when wet, water flows into and is absorbed up through thefloor of the crawlspace. Traditionally, the crawl space floor usually isjust a dirt floor. Additionally, water in contact with the foundationwall permeates and disperses throughout the wall via a variety ofmechanisms (e.g., capillary action, diffusion, and the like). The heatcapacity of materials in the foundation walls is always higher than theheat capacity of air, so the walls are usually cooler or warmer than theair, because they are slower to change temperature than the air. Thiscreates a temperature differential between the air and the foundationwalls. A consequence of this difference in temperature is that moisturecollects on the walls when they are cooler than the air, and thenreleases water vapor when the walls are warmer than the ambienttemperature. Depending on how the crawl space is conditioned, the crawlspace air temperature and humidity can be similar to the outside air, ormore like the air on the inside of the building. If the crawl space isvented, the air is going to be more like the outside air, than if thecrawl space is closed, because there is a greater exchange of air andthe air typically is not conditioned. This and other factors can have asignificant impact on what happens to the moisture in the foundationwalls. Other factors that influence the moisture and temperature in thecrawl space include whether the walls are insulated, and if and how thewalls are sealed.

Moisture in the headroom of the crawl space in the form of water vaporwill penetrate the wooden structural members of the building, causingwood rot, mold, odors, attraction of ants and other insects, rodentsetc. Mold spores exist in air and grow into destructive mold in thepresence of organic material, such as moist wood. Humidity levels offrom 50% to 90% are common in crawl spaces. Mold can grow on dirt,insulation, wood framing and even under carpeting on the floor withinthe home. Mold digests and destroys organic material as it feeds on it.Damp environments also provide an inviting environment for insects suchas termites, ants and other insects which feed on moist organic material(i.e. a wood sub-flooring), and can contribute to the destruction andcollapse thereof.

In an effort to prevent the penetration of water and water vapor intobuilding crawl spaces it has been proposed to apply a continuousmoisture barrier layer such as a 6 mil. thick plastic film over the dirtfloor of the crawl space. This has been proven to be unsatisfactory, perse, since water is drawn up from the ground, beneath the barrier, andleaks and/or vaporizes around the edges of the barrier into the crawlspace environment. Also, ground water penetrates the walls of the crawlspace and/or otherwise enters the crawl space and accumulates on top ofthe vapor barrier film and generates moisture which permeates into thewooden structural supports of the building resulting in rot and decay,mold and fungus, odors and vermin. Also a 6 mil vapor barrier film isnot sufficiently durable to resist tearing and being punctured under thestress and weight of a workman crawling on it.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,967 discloses a system in which the barrier film isassociated with an excavated pit filled with aggregate. Water enteringthe crawl space collects in the pit and is pumped from a sump whennecessary. A vapor barrier film is applied over the dirt floor of thecrawl space, and over the pit and sump areas, to prevent moisture fromentering the building. Such a system is unsatisfactory because it has nomechanism for preventing the entry of ground water and its accumulationon the surface of the barrier film, with the disadvantages discussedsupra.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,845 discloses another system in which the dirt floorof a crawl space is covered with a layer of lightweight concretematerial applied over a plastic film barrier layer. While the barrierlayer blocks the penetration of moisture from the ground up into thecrawlspace, the system provides no mechanism for preventing the entry ofground water through the walls of the crawl space onto the surface ofthe concrete material where it can accumulate in surface depressions anddevelop moisture, with the disadvantages discussed above.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,666 discloses a system which prevents the entry ofwater from the sub-soil and also from higher elevations of thesurrounding ground, such as excessive ground water caused by rain, snowand/or flooding, into crawl spaces directly or through the concreteblock walls which surround and enclose the crawl space. The system ofU.S. Pat. No. 6,575,666 includes applying over the floor of the crawlspace, generally a dirt floor but sometimes a poured concrete floor, acontinuous sealed plastic film barrier layer, and extending the barrierfilm vertically-upwardly to cover and seal the interior peripheral wallsenclosing the crawl space to an elevation at least slightly greater thanthe elevation of the ground in contact with the exterior surfaces of theperipheral walls and preferably to the tops of the peripheral walls.This encapsulates the dirt surface of the entire crawl space against thepenetration of external ground water or flood water and also sub-soilwater and water vapor onto the surface of the plastic barrier film andinto the crawl space atmosphere. Applicant has found that a down side tothis system is that water is still drawn up through the foundationwalls, resulting in moisture in the sub-flooring.

While the system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,666 represents a substantialimprovement in the waterproofing of crawl spaces, there remains a needfor an improved system which further insulates the barrier layer againstrupturing or tearing and a system which accommodates for water migratingup through the foundation walls.

The present invention relates to a crawl space waterproofing systemwhich is a comprehensive system that provides a micro-climate in thecrawl space, and further provides prophylactic measures to occlude waterand water vapor from entering the crawl space.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides amicro-climate crawl space system including a durable thermal insulatingsealing apparatus, where the apparatus isolates the crawl space; and asupply of conditioned air that is typically drawn from an interior ofthe building, where the conditioned air is supplied at a rate sufficientto effect a slight positive pressure on the crawl space. Themicro-climate crawl space system, in addition to insulating the crawlspace against transfer of heat, also prevents moisture from moving upthrough the walls around the foundation, where the moisture wouldpenetrate the wooden structural members of the building's sub-flooring.Keeping wooden structural members dry substantially eliminates dry rot,termites, and most forms of mildew, thus extending the life of thebuilding, and lowering the cost of maintaining and operating thebuilding. An added benefit is that the building's floor above the crawlspace stays at a temperature that is comparable to the air temperaturein the building, as the air temperature in the crawl space and above thefloor are at approximately the same temperature.

The durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus is mounted on andcovers substantially all of the vertical surface area of the interiorside of the foundation walls, where the vertical surface area is theperimeter and height of the crawl space. When mounted, the apparatusforms an insulated reflective chamber comprised of a plurality ofsubstantially parallel furring strips of insulation covered with areflective sheet reflectively facing the interior side of wall. Thereflective sheet is protected, for instance, with an over-sheet ofreinforced liner and the like that extends to and can be coextensivewith a barrier liner that covers the crawl space floor. The furringstrips, reflective sheet and the reinforced liner are affixed to thefoundation wall with multiple fastening elements, such staples, nails orscrews, which can be used to simultaneously form and attach theinsulated reflective chamber. The insulated reflective chamber reflectsradiant heat emanating from the foundation wall back into the chamber,raising the temperature of the chamber, lowering the relative humidity,and increasing the difference between the dew point and the temperatureof the air in the chamber. This keeps moisture in the form of a vapor,which exerts pressure on the wall, therein driving moisture towards theoutside. The slight positive pressure on the crawl space augments themovement of water vapor towards the outside. The crawl space ismaintained dry, as the cumulative effect of all the insulated reflectivechambers, act as a static moisture pump to expel water vapor from thecrawl space.

In an exemplary embodiment, a climate crawl space system includes afoundation wall forming a crawl space; a barrier liner covering a crawlspace floor; and a durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus mountedon and substantially covering a vertical surface area of an interiorside of the foundation wall, wherein the durable thermal insulatingsealing apparatus provides a mechanism for expelling water vapor fromthe crawl space. The climate crawl space system can further include anexterior water proofing membrane sealing an exterior side of thefoundation wall. Optionally, the climate crawl space system furtherincludes a drain system including a collection drain and pipes operableto divert water away from the exterior water proofing membrane. Thebarrier liner can include a reinforced poly-liner having a thickness of10 to 20 mils. Optionally, the poly-liner includes one of polyolefins,polyvinylchorides, etheylene propylene diene-monomers,ethylenepropylenes, and chlorinated polyethylenes.

The climate crawl space system can further include an interior emergencycollection apparatus located on the crawl space floor. The interioremergency collection apparatus includes one of a drain and a sump pump,and the interior emergency collection apparatus further includes analarm and a backflow sensor. The climate crawl space system can furtherinclude a fan configured to supply conditioned air from an interior of abuilding. The fan is configured to supply the conditioned air at a ratesufficient to affect a slight positive pressure on the crawl space. Thedurable thermal insulating sealing apparatus can include a plurality ofsubstantially parallel furring strips of insulation covered with areflective sheet reflectively facing the interior side of the foundationwall. The durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus can furtherinclude an insulated reflective chamber covered with a reinforced filmicliner. The reinforced filmic liner extends to and is coextensive withthe barrier liner. Optionally, the plurality of substantially parallelfurring strips include strips of polystyrene foam insulation with an Rvalue of the polystyrene foam insulation of about 7-10. Alternatively,the reflective sheet includes an R value of about 7. The insulatedreflective chamber reflects radiant heat emanating from the foundationwall back into the reflective chamber thereby raising the temperature ofthe reflective chamber, lowering the relative humidity, and increasingthe difference between the dew point and the temperature of the air inthe reflective chamber keeping moisture in the form of a vapor, whichexerts pressure on the foundation wall therein driving moisture towardsthe outside. Optionally, the climate crawl space system of furtherincludes a sill seal capping the foundation wall; and an application oflacquers and antimicrobial antifungal coatings to protect asub-flooring.

In another exemplary embodiment, a crawl space of a building includesfoundation walls; a barrier liner covering a crawl space floor; adurable thermal insulating sealing apparatus mounted on andsubstantially covering a vertical surface area of an interior side ofthe foundation walls, wherein the durable thermal insulating sealingapparatus provides a mechanism for expelling water vapor from the crawlspace; an interior emergency collection apparatus located on the crawlspace floor; and a fan configured to supply conditioned air from aninterior of a building; wherein the durable thermal insulating sealingapparatus includes a plurality of substantially parallel furring stripsof insulation covered with a reflective sheet reflectively facing theinterior side of the foundation walls; wherein the durable thermalinsulating sealing apparatus further includes an insulated reflectivechamber covered with a reinforced filmic liner; and wherein thereinforced filmic liner extends to and is coextensive with the barrierliner.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, a micro-climate crawl space systemincludes a means for keeping water from entering a crawl space; a meansfor expelling water that has entered the crawl space; a means forkeeping water vapor from entering the crawl space; a means for expellingwater vapor from the crawl space; and a means for minimizing adeleterious impact of water that is present in the crawl space.Optionally, the means of expelling water vapor from the crawl spaceincludes a durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus, wherein theapparatus isolates the crawl space; and a supply of conditioned air thatis drawn from an interior of the building, wherein the conditioned airis supplied at a rate sufficient to effect a slight positive pressure onthe crawl space. The durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus is aninsulated reflective chamber including a plurality of substantiallyparallel furring strips of insulation covered with a reflective sheetreflectively facing an interior side of a foundation wall, and anover-sheet of reinforced filmic liner that extends to and is coextensivewith a barrier liner covering the crawl space floor.

As will be apparent from the figures, the invented system in itsbroadest sense is comprised of a means for keeping water from enteringthe crawl space, a means of expelling water that enters the crawl space,a means for keeping water vapor from entering the crawl space, a meansof expelling water vapor from the crawl space, and a means forminimizing the deleterious impact of water that is present in the crawlspace.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated and described herein with referenceto the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote likesystem components, respectively, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a cut away view of the invented micro-climate crawl spacesystem;

FIG. 2 is a planar view of the micro-climate crawl space system, whereinthe building floor is not shown;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the durable thermal insulatingsealing apparatus; and

FIG. 4 is a frontal view of the durable thermal insulating sealingapparatus having multiple chambers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a micro-climate crawl space system forkeeping water from entering the crawl space, a mechanism of expellingwater that enters the crawl space, a mechanism for keeping water vaporfrom entering the crawl space, a mechanism of expelling water vapor fromthe crawl space, and a mechanism for minimizing the deleterious impactof water that is present in the crawl space. The present inventionutilizes a thermal air break to eliminate capillary action in thefoundation and reduce psychrometric condensation.

Referring to FIG. 1, a micro-climate crawl space system 10 equipped in abuilding crawl space 12 is illustrated with a ground level 14 higherthan a crawl space floor 16 according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention. The mechanism for keeping water from entering thecrawl space 12 includes a foundation wall 20, typically constructed ofcast or block concrete on a footer 22, and an exterior water proofingmembrane 24. If the building has a veneer, particularly a brick veneer26, then the exterior waterproofing membrane 24 is positioned againstthe brick 26. The exterior water proofing membrane 24 is impervious, andserves as a mechanism for keeping both water and water vapor fromentering the crawl space 12. A drain system 30 including a collectiondrain and pipes 32 can divert water away from the exterior waterproofingmembrane 24.

The mechanism for keeping water from entering the crawl space 12 canfurther include a barrier liner 40, which covers the crawl space floor16 and a durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus 50. The durablethermal insulating sealing apparatus 50 provides a mechanism forexpelling water vapor from the crawl space 12, and the apparatus 50 ismounted on and substantially covers a vertical surface area of aninterior side of the foundation walls 20.

An example of the barrier liner 40 is a reinforced filmic liner, such asa scrim reinforced poly-liner having a thickness of 10 to 20 mils, witha preferred thickness of about 12 mils. The poly-liner is selected tohave good weathering properties, such as polyolefins, polyvinylchorides,etheylene propylene diene-monomers, ethylenepropylenes, chlorinatedpolyethylenes, and the like. The crawl space floor 16 can be sloped tocollect water in an interior emergency collection apparatus 54, which isone mechanism for expelling water from the crawl space 12. Examples ofthe interior emergency collection apparatus 54 are drains, sump pumps,and the like, where the collection apparatus 54 preferably furtherincludes an alarm and a backflow sensor.

Referring to FIG. 2, the micro-climate crawl space system 10 has aplanar area defined by the floor crawl space 12 enclosed within theperimeter of the foundation walls 20. The walls 20 have an interiorvertical surface area defined as the product of a height and perimeterlength of the foundation walls 20. The crawl space 12 volume is definedby the height of the walls 20 times the planar area enclosed by theperimeter foundation walls 20. The mechanism of expelling water vaporthat is in the crawl space 12 includes the durable thermal insulatingsealing apparatus 50 and a supply of conditioned air by a fan 60 that istypically drawn from an interior of the building. The durable thermalinsulating sealing apparatus 50 is located the interior of thefoundation walls 20. The conditioned air is supplied at a ratesufficient to affect a slight positive pressure on the crawl space 12. Aguideline for a suitable fan 60 is one that blows about 1 cfm for everysquare foot of the building's sub-flooring. The fan draws air from theinterior of the building. The flow rate produces a pressure of about 4-5Pascal or (˜0.00058 psi or 0.016 inches water)-(˜0.00073 psi to 0.020inches water). The micro-climate crawl space system 10 thermallyinsulates and prevents moisture from moving up through the foundationwalls 20. A target temperature range is 58° F. to 72° F. with a relativehumidity of 68% or less is desired. The dew point at these temperaturesis 48° F. to 61° F., which is low enough that there will be very littlecondensation.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-4, the mechanism of expelling water vaporfrom the crawl space 12 includes the durable thermal insulating sealingapparatus 50 mounted on and substantially covering the vertical surfacearea of the interior side 52 of the foundation walls 20. When mounted,the durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus 50 forms an insulatedreflective chamber 60 which includes a plurality of substantiallyparallel furring strips 66 of insulation covered with a reflective sheet62 reflectively facing the interior side 52 of the wall 50. Thereflective sheet 62 is protected with an over-sheet of reinforced filmicliner 64 that extends to and is usually coextensive with the barrierliner 40, and in fact is typically the same material, covering the crawlspace floor 16. The furring strips are typically about 1.5 inches thickstrips of polystyrene foam insulation. The R value of the polystyrenefoam insulation is about 7-10, with 8-9 being preferable. The reflectivesheet 62 has an insulation value of about 7. The over-sheet ofreinforced filmic liner 64 is about 12 mil thick. The furring strips 66,reflective sheet 62, and the reinforced filmic liner 64 are affixed tothe foundation wall 50 with multiple fastening elements 70, such asstaples, screws, nails, or the like.

The reinforced filmic liner 64 is normally wrapped around a toplaterally running furring strip 66, and then draped down and fastened toa parallel strip beneath it forming the insulated reflective chamber 60.Depending on the vertical height of the foundation wall 20, there can bemultiple furring strips 66 in the insulated reflective chamber 60separated by a distance of about 4 to 12 inches. Vertical furring strips66 are added as required to enclose the ends forming the insulatedreflective chamber 60. The insulated reflective chamber 60 reflectsradiant heat emanating from the foundation wall 20 back into the chamber60, raising the temperature of the chamber 60, lowering the relativehumidity, and increasing the difference between the dew point and thetemperature of the air in the chamber 60. This keeps moisture in theform of a vapor, which exerts pressure on the wall 20, therein drivingmoisture towards the outside. The slight positive pressure on the crawlspace 12 created by the fan 60 augments the movement of water vaportowards the outside. The crawl space 12 is maintained dry, as thecumulative effect of all the insulated reflective chambers 60, act as astatic moisture pump to expel the water vapor from the crawl space 12.

The mechanism for minimizing the deleterious impact of water that ispresent in the crawl space 12 includes a sill seal 72 which caps thefoundation walls 20, an application of lacquers and antimicrobialantifungal coatings which protect a sub-flooring 74, termite treatments,and a sub-flooring insulation 76. An example of the sub-flooringinsulation 76 is a soft foam insulation and air barrier system such asIcynene's® water-blown foam insulation. The sub-flooring insulation 76minimizes air leakage for increased energy efficiency, reduces noise andadheres to most construction materials. It is applied as a liquid, andexpands its volume to fill cracks and crevices. The R-value is about 3.6per inch. It acts as insulation and an air barrier to minimize airleakage and seal the building envelope for optimal air tightness. Theoutside of the sub-flooring 74 and the building is typically sealed witha wrap like Tyvek® a Dupont product. Additionally, a wrap 78 andflashing 80 may be used to seal the crawl space 12. The flashing 80covers the sub-flooring 74, the foundation wall 20, and the brick 26.The wrap 78 is over the flashing 80.

Referring to FIG. 4, a relatively tall foundation wall 20 may require awider durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus 50 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, there are three furring strips 66 spanned by the reflectivesheet 62 and the reinforced filmic liner 64 forming two chambers 60. Thereinforced filmic liner 64 is shown draping down, and typically iscoextensive with the floors barrier liner.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described hereinwith reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof,it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art thatother embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/orachieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples arewithin the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended tobe covered by the following claims.

1. A climate crawl space system, comprising: a foundation wall forming acrawl space; a barrier liner covering a crawl space floor; and a durablethermal insulating sealing apparatus mounted on and substantiallycovering a vertical surface area of an interior side of the foundationwall, wherein the durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus providesa mechanism for expelling water vapor from the crawl space.
 2. Theclimate crawl space system of claim 1, further comprising: an exteriorwater proofing membrane sealing an exterior side of the foundation wall.3. The climate crawl space system of claim 2, further comprising: adrain system comprising a collection drain and pipes operable to divertwater away from the exterior water proofing membrane.
 4. The climatecrawl space system of claim 1, wherein the barrier liner comprises areinforced poly-liner having a thickness of 10 to 20 mils.
 5. Theclimate crawl space system of claim 4, wherein the poly-liner comprisesone of polyolefins, polyvinylchorides, etheylene propylenediene-monomers, ethylenepropylenes, and chlorinated polyethylenes. 6.The climate crawl space system of claim 1, further comprising: aninterior emergency collection apparatus located on the crawl spacefloor.
 7. The climate crawl space system of claim 6, wherein theinterior emergency collection apparatus comprises one of a drain and asump pump, and wherein the interior emergency collection apparatusfurther comprises an alarm and a backflow sensor.
 8. The climate crawlspace system of claim 1, further comprising: a fan configured to supplyconditioned air from an interior of a building.
 9. The climate crawlspace system of claim 8, wherein the fan is configured to supply theconditioned air at a rate sufficient to affect a slight positivepressure on the crawl space.
 10. The climate crawl space system of claim1, wherein the durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus comprises aplurality of substantially parallel furring strips of insulation coveredwith a reflective sheet reflectively facing the interior side of thefoundation wall.
 11. The climate crawl space system of claim 10, whereinthe durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus further comprises aninsulated reflective chamber covered with a reinforced filmic liner. 12.The climate crawl space system of claim 11, wherein the reinforcedfilmic liner extends to and is coextensive with the barrier liner. 13.The climate crawl space system of claim 10, wherein the plurality ofsubstantially parallel furring strips comprise strips of polystyrenefoam insulation with an R value of the polystyrene foam insulation ofabout 7-10.
 14. The climate crawl space system of claim 10, wherein thereflective sheet comprises an R value of about
 7. 15. The climate crawlspace system of claim 11, wherein the insulated reflective chamberreflects radiant heat emanating from the foundation wall back into thereflective chamber thereby raising the temperature of the reflectivechamber, lowering the relative humidity, and increasing the differencebetween the dew point and the temperature of the air in the reflectivechamber keeping moisture in the form of a vapor, which exerts pressureon the foundation wall therein driving moisture towards the outside. 16.The climate crawl space system of claim 1, further comprising: a sillseal capping the foundation wall; and an application of lacquers andantimicrobial antifungal coatings to protect a sub-flooring.
 17. A crawlspace of a building, comprising: foundation walls; a barrier linercovering a crawl space floor; a durable thermal insulating sealingapparatus mounted on and substantially covering a vertical surface areaof an interior side of the foundation walls, wherein the durable thermalinsulating sealing apparatus provides a mechanism for expelling watervapor from the crawl space; an interior emergency collection apparatuslocated on the crawl space floor; and a fan configured to supplyconditioned air from an interior of a building; wherein the durablethermal insulating sealing apparatus comprises a plurality ofsubstantially parallel furring strips of insulation covered with areflective sheet reflectively facing the interior side of the foundationwalls; wherein the durable thermal insulating sealing apparatus furthercomprises an insulated reflective chamber covered with a reinforcedfilmic liner; and wherein the reinforced filmic liner extends to and iscoextensive with the barrier liner.
 18. A micro-climate crawl spacesystem comprising: a means for keeping water from entering a crawlspace; a means for expelling water that has entered the crawl space; ameans for keeping water vapor from entering the crawl space; a means forexpelling water vapor from the crawl space; and a means for minimizing adeleterious impact of water that is present in the crawl space.
 19. Themicro-climate crawl space system of claim 18, wherein the means ofexpelling water vapor from the crawl space comprises: a durable thermalinsulating sealing apparatus, wherein the apparatus isolates the crawlspace; and a supply of conditioned air that is drawn from an interior ofthe building, wherein the conditioned air is supplied at a ratesufficient to effect a slight positive pressure on the crawl space. 20.The micro-climate crawl space system of claim 19, wherein the durablethermal insulating sealing apparatus is an insulated reflective chambercomprised of a plurality of substantially parallel furring strips ofinsulation covered with a reflective sheet reflectively facing aninterior side of a foundation wall, and an over-sheet of reinforcedfilmic liner that extends to and is coextensive with a barrier linercovering the crawl space floor.